Russet Potato vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Russet Potato and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
russet potato
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in russet potato and sweet potatoes:
- Both sweet potatoes and russet potato are high in potassium.
- Sweet potato has more pantothenic acid.
- Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Russet Potato (Potatoes, russet, flesh and skin, raw (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Sweet potatoes and russet potato contain similar amounts of calories - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and russet potato has 79 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, russet potato is similar to sweet potatoes for protein, carbs and fat. Russet potato has a macronutrient ratio of 10:89:1 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Russet Potato | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 10% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 89% | 92% |
| Fat | 1% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Sweet potatoes and russet potato contain similar amounts of carbs - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and russet potato has 18.1g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 64% starch, 21% sugar and 15% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in russet potato comprise of 89% starch, 7% dietary fiber and 3% sugar.
dietary fiber
Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 131% more dietary fiber than russet potato - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and russet potato has 1.3g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Sweet potatoes and russet potato contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and russet potato has 0.62g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Sweet potatoes and russet potato contain similar amounts of protein - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and russet potato has 2.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both sweet potatoes and russet potato are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and russet potato has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Russet potato has 138% more Vitamin C than sweet potato - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and russet potato has 5.7mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than russet potato - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and russet potato does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Sweet potatoes and russet potato contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and russet potato has 0.01mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Sweet potatoes and russet potato contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and russet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Sweet potato has more pantothenic acid. Both russet potato and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Russet Potato | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.082 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.033 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 1.035 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.301 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.345 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 14 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Sweet potato has 131% more calcium than russet potato - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and russet potato has 13mg of calcium.
iron
Sweet potatoes and russet potato contain similar amounts of iron - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and russet potato has 0.86mg of iron.
potassium
Both sweet potatoes and russet potato are high in potassium. Russet potato has 24% more potassium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and russet potato has 417mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
carotenoids
Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]
For specific types of carotenoids,
| Russet Potato | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 5 UG | ~ |
| beta-carotene | ~ | 8509 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 7 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both russet potato and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Russet Potato | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.01 G | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.01 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both russet potato and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Russet Potato | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.032 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.032 G | 0.013 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).
You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Russet Potato or Sweet Potatoes .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Russet Potato (Potatoes, russet, flesh and skin, raw (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Russet Potato g
()
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Daily Values (%) |
Sweet Potatoes g
()
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5% | calories | 5% |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
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5% | saturated fat | 5% |
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| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
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5% | sodium | 5% |
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| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
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5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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5% | protein | 5% |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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5% | choline | 5% |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
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| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does sweet potatoes or russet potato contain more calories in 100 grams?Sweet potatoes and russet potato contain similar amounts of calories - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and russet potato has 79 calories.
Does sweet potatoes or russet potato have more carbohydrates?
By weight, sweet potatoes and russet potato contain similar amounts of carbs - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and russet potato has 18.1g of carbohydrates. the carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 60% starch, 20% sugar and 20% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in russet potato comprise of 90% starch, 10% dietary fiber and 0% sugar.
Does sweet potatoes or russet potato contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and russet potato are high in potassium. Russet potato has 20% more potassium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and russet potato has 417mg of potassium.